GOP senator: We probably shouldn’t follow China’s lead on criminal justice

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said in an interview on Sunday that the U.S. should not follow China’s lead on criminal justice, hours after President Trump said he would consider the death penalty for drug dealers. 

Johnson said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Washington should not take its cue from Beijing.

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“We probably should not be following China’s lead when it comes to criminal justice,” Johnson said. “I’m a supporter of the death penalty, but only when in those type of instance where we absolutely are 100 percent certain that the person is 100 percent guilty.”

“I’m not sure it’d be applicable to drug offenses,” Johnson said.

Trump during a campaign event in Pennsylvania on Saturday said he was open to considering the death penalty for drug dealers. He said he got the idea from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump has said he does not see the current punishments for drug-related crimes as effective.

The Justice Department and the president’s Domestic Policy Council are reportedly analyzing new policy that could make drug dealers eligible for the death penalty and an announcement on their decision could come within weeks.

Currently, drug dealers are only eligible for the death penalty in cases involving the death of a law enforcement officer.